The Communist Party of Peru calls to render homage to the leader of the Peruvian revolution. General Mobilisation in Peru and abroad.
Last September 24 was the fifth anniversary of the speech of Chairman Gonzalo. A memorable speech won in titanic combat over Fujimori's myrmidons who, like savage dogs, were barking and surrounding the cage from which the leader of the revolution addre ssed the people, the working class, and the communists of the entire world.
El Diario Internacional joins in these celebrations, and for that purpose, presents this special article that attempts a synthesis of the historical significance of Chairman Gonzalo's latest words.
We consider that the greatest homage that can be offered to the leader of the People's War is to defend his thought and the integrity of his exemplary condition as a communist. This means, to reject and fight against all those who attempted to portray Chairman Gonzalo as a vile fraudster and author of the purported "peace letters".
There is only one word to describe Chairman Gonzalo's speech. It was extraordinary and full of historical significance. It was a speech consistent with his condition as the leader who set in motion the revolutionary process that from 1980 is leading to wards the liberation of the oppressed masses of Peru.
These dramatically adverse conditions could not prevent the great Peruvian Maoist from delivering a message in which the most fundamental questions of the Peruvian revolution are contained. This memorable speech by Chairman Gonzalo constitutes a challe nge to the Fujimori regime, to US imperialism, and all reactionaries in the world.
As we know, on September 24 1992, Chairman Gonzalo, dressed by his captors in convict stripes, and from behind the bars of an iron cage, was presented in what was billed as a "press briefing". The event took place in the inner yard of the anti-terroris t police headquarters and was guarded by overflying helicopters and around 200 sharpshooters from the armed forces. The "briefing" was attended by police officers in plain clothes, agents of the National Intelligence Service, and several dozen mercenary j ournalists from Peru and abroad.
The Peruvian regime, implementing the advice received from the American CIA, organised this crass spectacle aiming to humiliate and ridicule the leader of the Communist Party of Peru (PCP).
The methodology and the behaviour used on that day against Chairman Gonzalo, would mark the beginning of a diabolic plan aimed at destroying the world wide prestige of the great Peruvian revolutionary. This plan reached it greatest level of sophisticat ion in October 1993, with the fraudulent plot that has become known as the "peace letters" fraud. A plot that the regime's propaganda attributed to Chairman Gonzalo himself.
WHAT IS THE BALANCE TO BE DRAWN 5 YEARS ON FROM THIS SPEECH?
The concise allocution of Chairman Gonzalo lasted barely a few minutes. However, it embodied and synthesized a whole series of political, ideological and military directives. In a single document, Chairman Gonzalo made a precise synthesis of the strate gy of the PCP for the seizure of power. These directives were delivered as a mandate for the leaders, cadres, combatants and masses of the Party, to take up responsibility in accomplishing.
As the leader of the Party and the revolution, Chairman Gonzalo correctly held that his arrest, although a blow for the revolutionary process, would not in the least impede the advance along the victorious road of the People's War.
In this message, Chairman Gonzalo sought a supreme objective: To address the Party and the oppressed people of Peru and express to them his firm conviction that the revolution should continue without the slightest interruption. That nothing, not even t he most brutal repression, should change the course of the process of the armed struggle.
The Chairman commanded that no one should deviate even a millimetre from the strategic (political and military) plans elaborated for advancing towards the seizure of power. He took advantage of the bizarre platform provided by the Fujimori regime, to p rovide guidance for the leaders and militants of the PCP. He delivered to them a complete blue print to deport themselves in a period in which he no longer would be physically present. He said:
"We are living historical moments, we all know this to be the case, let us not delude ourselves. In these moments we should bring all our strength to bear in confronting difficulties and continuing with our tasks. And we us to achieve our objectives! S core triumphs! Achieve victory! That is what we need to do.......We should continue with the tasks laid down at the III Plenum of the Central Committee. A glorious Plenum! These accords - you should be aware - are already being implemented and that shall continue to be the case".
"We shall continue to implement the IV Plan of Strategic Development for the People's War aimed at the Seizure of Power, we shall continue to develop the VI Military Plan to Build-up for the Seizure of Power. This will continue. It is a duty! We shall carry it out because we are what we are, and because we are bound in duty to do it with the proletariat and the people!"
A fact of enormous significance that we should emphasise in Chairman Gonzalo's speech, is his courageous reaffirmation of his condition as a communist and combatant of the revolution. The leader of the People's War did not even for an instant kowtow be fore his enemies. On the contrary, he demonstrated that a communist of his stature never ceases to be a communist. The Chairman gave an example of how a real communist should conduct him/herself when - as part of the risks and accidents that a liberation war entails - falling into the hands of the class enemy.
Chairman Gonzalo taught us with his vivid example on that occasion, that a communist -- in whatever circumstance or place he/she may find him/herself- must continue to fight for the people's interests. In that occasion, Chairman Gonzalo pointed out:
"Here we stand as flesh and blood of the people and fighting in these trenches, that are also trenches for combat. This we do, because we are Communists! Because here, we also defend the interests of the people, the principles of the Party, and the Peo ple's War. That is what we have done, what we are doing, and what we will continue to do!"
THE IDEOLOGICAL PROBLEM
In Chairman Gonzalo's speech we also find embodied his ideological outlook. He misses nothing. In delivering this ideological legacy, Chairman Gonzalo refers to Maoism as the third and superior stage of Marxism. He points out that, at the international level, the main task is to build up Communist Parties based upon Maoism. That this task is one of fundamental importance to be able to confront the actions that will face us within the new wave of revolution we have already upon us. In that occasion, the Chairman said:
"........In our view of the world, Maoism is unceasingly marching forward to assuming the lead in the new wave of world proletarian revolution. Pay attention and understand this well!.......What do we see today unfolding in the world? What do we need? We need Maoism to become embodied in the masses, and Maoism now is being embodied. We need Maoism to generate Communist Parties that would advance and guide this new great wave of the world proletarian revolution that is already upon us".
Part II
INFORMATION
FROM THE SPEECH TO THE PRESENT STAGE
If anything has been demonstrated in these 5 years, is that the People's War does not cease even for an instant. With its highs and lows, the armed struggle has retained its validity and political influence among the oppressed masses. This relevant fac tor confirms the strategic impact of Chairman Gonzalo's speech.
In consequence, the events that have taken place from September 24, 1992 to September 1997, have completely confirmed that the mandate issued by the leader of the revolution was correct, and that this mandate complied with a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ana lysis and political line.
We should remember that the capture of Chairman Gonzalo (September 12, 1992) was portrayed by the Peruvian regime as the end of the road for the PCP and the armed struggle. To this end, both in Peru and abroad, the regime developed a wide mis-informati on campaign aimed at portraying the PCP as an organisation, that without the presence of its principal leader, would end up rolling into the abyss of oblivion.
In this manner, Fujimori and the top leaders of his Armed Forces, promoted the idea that the Maoist guerillas would be completely and definitely smashed by July 1995. As everyone can see, July 1995 has gone by, and the guerillas led by the PCP continue to act in full swing and constant development.
THE PCP IS AN INDESTRUCTIBLE ORGANISATION
The continuation of the People's War has not only meant the defeat of the strategic plans for repression of the regime, but also the consolidation of the PCP and all its apparatuses taking part in the revolution.
The counter-insurgency propaganda of the regime portrayed the PCP as some sort of Mesianic sect, an organisation that exclusively depended on Chairman Gonzalo. The "analysts" and "Senderologists" of the regime based themselves upon this premise to loud ly assert that "Shining Path without Gonzalo is finished". However, the concrete facts show that not only has been the PCP able to recover from the blow it suffered with the capture of Chairman Gonzalo, but that it has now completely recovered, and is, mo reover, advancing full steam ahead.
THE STATE GROWS EVER MORE MILITARISED
And what is the concrete situation in Peru today?
The first thing we should mention is that the People's war continues to be the number one problem facing the Peruvian state.
This fact expresses itself in the growing militarization of the country. In this respect, the repressive apparatus of the state has a total personnel of 627.000. Of this total, 400.000 are members of the paramilitary organisations (rondas campesinas (p easant reactionary militias), civil defence groups, armed gangs of the municipal authorities, etc). Another 135.000 correspond to the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force), while 92.000 make up the personnel in the various police forces and agencies of repression. This total does not take into account foreign military advisors present in Peru, coming from the US, Russia, Israel and other countries.
A FAVOURABLE GROUND FOR THE PEOPLE'S WAR
The militarisation of the State, the government's crisis, the growth of hunger and immiseration, and also the generalised corruption in the highest official spheres, are providing a rich compost for the ground upon which the People's War continues to d evelop.
As Chairman Gonzalo has pointed out, the rotting away of the bureaucratic-landlord state, will inevitably lead to the seizure of power. As part and parcel of this same phenomena, the PCP is now ready to overcome the bend along the road and to complete its general reorganisation. These twin objectives, that are about to culminate successfully, will provide greater political and military force for this Party, steeled as it is, in the example and the teachings of Chairman Gonzalo.